Shifting Sands
by Wishspark
Summary: After the death of her husband, the metacrisis Doctor, Rose Tyler moves to the small town of Broadchurch for a fresh start as a DS working along side the irritating DI Alec Hardy and DS Ellie Miller. Expecting a quiet life, Rose finds her self thrown into the middle of a murder investigation. Can they find the killer before it's too late? *Broadchurch Series 1 Rewrite*
1. A Fresh Start

**So hello and welcome to my Broadchurch/Doctor Who crossover series. I've had this idea for a while now after watching Broadchurch and I just couldn't stop picturing if Rose had been a part of the story. Now just a little warning, this is not a light hearted Doctor Who story and will feature darker topics such as depression, murder, suicide, sex, drugs, rape etc. It also features some explicit language so if you're not into that, I probably wouldn't read it. Not to say it won't have its comedic moments, but it will have a darker theme overall. I apologise if something is not exactly correct e.g. legal procedures, police procedures etc. but I'll try my best to do my research to get it right. As I mentioned in the notes of my other story, this will be more focussed on the Broadchurch aspect rather than the Doctor Who aspect (more murder-mystery less timey wimey) but there will still be plenty of Doctor Who/ Torchwood references. The first part of this series will be covering series 1 of** _ **Broadchurch**_ **So without further ado, let's begin.**

* * *

Chapter 1: A Fresh Start

Rose Tyler sat in her office, head in her hands as she attempted to concentrate her now almost overdue report. She sighed as the letters swam around the page, causing her to rub her eyes and throw head back, resting it on the back of the cushioned black chair. It had been 10 months, 3 weeks, 29 minutes and 32, no 33 seconds since he had left her. Well not exactly left her, it's not like he chose to die but it still hurt all the same. The first couple of months had been the hardest, her once colourful world turning to grey without him. Everything had reminded her of him; from the ice-cream shop on the corner they went to on their first proper date to his untouched office that resided next to hers, seemingly frozen in time, his scattered papers and smiling photographs of them together left completely untouched. At first she was in complete denial, believing that she would find him in his office like she always did, eyebrows furrowed as he attempted to concentrate on various reports despite his limited attention span. But days turned to weeks and Rose realised he was really gone and never coming back. She then grew angry, angry that he had left her here, angry at the person that had killed him, tearing apart the house they had shared together before collapsing onto the floor, tears streaming down her tired face like a waterfall. She moved back into her parent's mansion after that, everything in that house had been a constant reminder that he was gone. Soon she began to wish that she had been taken instead, every night she laid awake into the early hours of the morning, thinking about how it could have gone differently if she had been there instead. She then grew depressed, struggling to get out of bed every morning and wondering what the point of even living was anymore. So she threw herself into her work, trying to distract herself from everything and not wanting to face her feelings anymore. Her parents had encouraged her to see someone but she wouldn't listen, still not wanting to face her remaining grief. Recently, whilst the thought of him still saddened her, she was beginning to accept what had happened. But it was not easy, especially when everyone treated her like a fragile doll that could break at any moment. Every sympathetic glance given to her, whilst having good intentions behind them, just made her want to punch them in the face. So she put on a smile and tried to be happy and she was happy, well sort of… getting there. But this afternoon, it had particularly been getting to her.

"I can't do this anymore." She muttered, allowing her head to fall back into her hands. She needed to get away, away from her job, away from London, just away from everything. She had grown to hate her job at Torchwood. Whilst she liked helping both people and aliens alike, it had become a chore to her, almost a distraction and it did not bring her the spark of excitement that it used to. It also did not help that she was still recognised in the street as a Vitex heiress, having the paparazzi following her every move. She loved Pete but sometimes she wished he had never invented that stupid drink. _A fresh start. That's what I need._ Rose thought, rising to her feet. She made her way to the corridor and began the long trek to Pete's office, giving The Doctor's office a small smile as she ran her fingers along the smooth surface of the wall. He would want her to be happy, to move on from the hell of the past year. After pausing for a moment, she made her way down the corridor to the lift, nodding her head in passing to anyone that came across her path. As she waited for the lift, she ran into Jake who gave her his signature grin. Rose smiled back at him, he was one of the only people here who actually treated her like a person. "Hey Rose! How's the report coming?"

"Terribly." She admitted, biting her lip lightly, "I couldn't concentrate."

He shrugged. "It happens. Just don't let the beast know that." Rose giggled at Jake's nickname for her dad. It was really quite ridiculous considering he was one of the nicest people she had ever met. Well… maybe she was a bit biased considering he was her dad but still. The lift doors opened with a ding, causing Rose to jump. "Well, it's nice to see that smile of yours. You should use it more often."

She poked her tongue out at him teasingly as she stepped into the lift, "I'll try. See ya later Jake." Jake gave her a friendly wave as the doors closed in front of her.

Stepping out of the lift, Rose made her away to the large glass doors of his office and threw them open, earning herself a glare from his receptionist. "Sorry Sharon. Didn't make an appointment today." Sharon sighed in exasperation and shook her head but said nothing. Taking this as permission to enter, she stepped inside and was greeted by an exhausted looking Pete Tyler. He still looked exactly the same as when she had entered the parallel universe for the first time, just a bit older, with wrinkles beginning to form along his brow and his cheeks. "Rose!" He exclaimed, a smile growing on face, 'What do I owe this pleasure?"

"Can't a daughter come hang out with her dad?" She asked as she sat down in the chair across from him, leaning slightly on the desk.

"Of course, but by the look on your face you want to talk about something else."

"Yeah." She replied. He knew her too well.

"So what can I do for you?" She sighed and braced herself for what she was going to say next, unsure of how he was going to take it.

"I need to get away from here."

"What? Like a holiday?"

"I was thinking about something more… permanent."

"Oh."

"It's just everything reminds me of him here, I'm not really enjoying my job, the paparazzi follow my every move and everyone treats me like I'm about to explode and I'm not… well I hope not anyway." They were both silent for a moment as Pete furrowed his brows, clearly thinking about her request. Rose decided to break the silence. "I still want to help people; I just need a break from the extra-terrestrial and the heiress life for a while. So I was hoping that you could help me find a job and a place to live. It doesn't have to be far away, I don't want to run of to Australia or anything, just somewhere out of London, somewhere quiet." He thought again for a moment, clasping his hands together.

"Alright."

"Really?"

"On one condition."  
"Anything."

"I want you to talk to someone while you're there, it doesn't have to be a counsellor, I know for some reason you have an extreme dislike for them but just someone to help you sort out everything. You've had a lot to deal with Rose and if you keep it bottled up like you do, you'll never be able to move on properly." She nodded. It was probably time she sorted out her ever-growing more complicated life.

"Oh and you're telling Jackie."

"Do I really have to? She's going to kill me."

"You want to leave; you have to tell her." She sighed but nodded in agreement. This was her responsibility and she wasn't going to shy away from it.

"Anywhere particular you have in mind? Anything you want to do?"

"Not really. Just somewhere out of the way and I suppose I wouldn't mind a job that utilised my skills. I know that's a bit of a challenge considering the uniqueness of them. I just want to help people." Pete smiled at her request.

"I'll find something don't worry. You're our top agent after all. You just worry about telling your mother." She pulled a mock pout before standing and throwing her arms around a startled looking Pete. "Thank you." She muttered into his suit jacket. He smiled into her shoulder.

"Your welcome sweetheart." They pulled away, both still smiling. Rose thought this was the happiest she had felt since it happened.

"You should knock off for the day, you look exhausted." Pete spoke, a concerned look growing on his face.

"Must run in the family." She replied, a light playfulness in her voice.

"Oi!" She grinned cheekily before running out of the room, still smiling like an idiot. She was finally getting the fresh start she had desperately needed.

* * *

"So Broadchurch?" Rose asked, letting the name roll over her tongue. She was once again sitting in Pete's office after he had informed her he had some news on their little plan. She stared out the window, taking in the breathtaking view of London basked in the afternoon sun. She had always loved London, the hustle and bustle of everyday people making their way around the crowded streets. But now, she just wanted quiet. "That's right. Broadchurch. A quiet, seaside town just a few hours from here. It was a little hard to find something to fit to your extensive specifications but I think I've done it." He winked at her playfully. Rose rolled her eyes but smiled back at him. _Broadchurch._ She thought, _sounds a bit fairy tale but I like it. It's exactly what I need right now._ "And what will I be doing there?"

"A job opened up at the local police station. A detective sergeant just quit and they're looking for a replacement."

"Detective sergeant? But I've never worked in the police force before."

"Well not exactly, but you have worked with Torchwood for almost fourteen years, you're intelligent, you know how to investigate and you're more than prepared for any situation. Besides, it's a small town, you'll probably just be working on some break ins instigated by some pesky teens."  
"Pesky teens?" Rose rolled her eyes.

"What?" He questioned innocently. "How would you describe them?" They both looked at each other seriously before bursting into laughter.

"Anyway." Pete continued, trying to collect himself, "There's just one slight hiccup that I want you to know about first."

"Sure. What is it?"

"The new DI there, Alec Hardy, looks sort of like… him."

"Like who?" She asked before realising what he meant. "Oh…"

"And by sort of like him I mean I lot like him."

"Right…" She sighed for a moment, deep in thought. Could she really stand to work with someone that looked exactly like The Doctor? It was probably a bad idea, an extremely stupid idiotic idea but in that moment Rose decided she was not going to pass up this just because of someone's looks. She would just have to get over it. It couldn't be too bad… right? "I'll do it." Rose confirmed, crossing her arms.

"Are you sure? I can always arrange for-"

"No. I can do this. It will be… difficult but I can manage. Besides, I've got to get over it sometime."

"Alright." Pete agreed, giving her arm a gentle squeeze. "So I gave Chief Superintendent Jenkinson a call and told her about your situation…" Rose raised her eyebrows, "briefly and she hired you on the spot."

"Really?"

"I told you working for Torchwood had its perks. People love a Torchwood agent. They're trained exceptionally well if I do say so myself and you're the best we've got."

"I'm really not." Rose replied, her eyes falling to her Converse covered feet.

"You are." He countered, his voice full of pride. "Anyway, she can't wait to have you on the team and you're free to start next week."

"Wow that's… soon." He nodded.

"I've found you a place to live too. It's a nice, modern, fully furnished two-bedroom apartment and will have everything you need upon your arrival." Rose felt a nervous rise up inside of her. She knew she wanted to do this but it suddenly felt so… real. For some reason she felt like she was betraying him, deep down she knew she wasn't but she just couldn't shake the feeling.

"Are you alright?"

"Fine. It's just… it's a big step for me. Do you think I can do it?"

"I think you can do anything you set your mind to because you're the most determined person I have ever met." She smiled at him before heading towards the door, needing some fresh air.

"Thanks again… for everything."

"Of course. I want you to be happy." Rose gave him a grateful smile as she walked out the door.

* * *

Rose stepped into her new apartment, feeling exhausted after the long drive. She had not expected to be so upset after saying goodbye to Pete, Jackie and her teenage brother Tony but the farewell had left her with a heavy feeling in her heart. She realised that this was the first time she had ever lived completely on her own. _That's rather sad isn't it? 35 years old and never lived alone._ Rose thought to herself mockingly. She had always had Jackie, Pete, The Doctor or her ex boyfriend Jimmy Stone who she never wanted to even think about again but now for the first time, she was alone. Sighing, she began to take in her surroundings. From what she could see, standing in the living room that was lined with bookshelves which Pete had assured her were filled with her favourite books and a plush, grey lounge, the apartment was quite spacious which a large, open plan kitchen fitted with a breakfast bar, wooden dining room table and fancy kitchen appliances that Rose would probably never work out how to use. A hallway was situated off the living room which Rose presumed leaded to the bedrooms, bathrooms, study and laundry. Picking up the bags she had discarded on the floor, Rose made her way down the hallway to the larger of the two bedrooms, taking it in. "What do you think Doctor?" She whispered, tears brimming in her eyes "A little bit fancy dontcha think?". Dropping the bags on the floor and flopping down onto the large bed, Rose let out the torrent of tears that she had been holding back. She missed him, a lot. Feeling like she needed a distraction, Rose wiped the tears from her eyes and sat up abruptly, deciding to take up Jenkinson's offer on dropping a few things off before her first day tomorrow. Then perhaps, she could take a walk around the town, especially since she hadn't seen a lot of Broadchurch besides a few glimpses on the drive in. Grabbing the box that she had filled with what she liked to call 'officey things', she fumbled for her car keys and made her way down to the Broadchurch Police Station.

After getting her identification sorted at the front desk and having a rather unflattering photo taken of her with an 'I've just had a breakdown in my apartment face' face, Rose Tyler made her way up the lift to meet with Chief Superintendent Jenkinson, the box in her arms. She was very nervous, especially considering that she had never worked for the police before, but Pete had assured her that it would be very similar to working at Torchwood, just minus the aliens of course. She wondered if DI Hardy was also aware of her unique situation but she highly doubted it. She had wanted to keep her Torchwood life as private as possible. She also felt very underdressed, still wearing a navy blue hoody, black skinny jeans and her favourite pair of black Converse high tops that she never went anywhere without. It was The Doctor that had got her into the habit of wearing them she supposed, after declaring that they were 'the best shoes in the entire universe' and buying her a pair for her birthday, she had grown to understand his liking of them. Now, she felt quite ridiculous after seeing her future colleagues looking very prim and proper in their business wear. She took a deep breath, shaking her head. Nervously twisting her wedding band which hung on a chain around her neck, she willed herself to get it together. She had faced far worse situations before, Daleks, Cybermen, even the bloody devil himself so why was this so difficult for her? "I can do this." She muttered to herself as the lift doors opened.

Stepping out of the lift, Rose heard a rough Scottish accent echoing across the room. "I don't care if you think she's the bloody queen Jenkinson, I don't want her on my team. She's nothing but a spoilt, daddy's girl, rich heiress who thinks she can run the damn world. End of story."

"Hardy, if you would just give her a chance." He scoffed at her words and Rose felt her blood boil, her nerves turning into anger. Who did he think he was, talking about her like that when he didn't even know her? _Well that's DI then._ Rose thought bitterly, _Great. Just my luck I get stuck with a rude, arrogant prick._

"Ha. Don't make me laugh."

"Your walking on thin ice here Hardy, I got you this job in the first place and I can take it away just as easily." He sighed and Rose walked forward, trying to get a better look at the two figures. Rose almost dropped the box she was carrying when she saw Hardy. _I know Pete mentioned that he looked like him but really, he's practically his doppelganger._ Rose thought, taking him in. Bearing the same facial features as The Doctor, rather than The Doctor's clean shaven face, Hardy sported rough, unshaven stubble, covering his chin and neck. His hair was quite messy and unkempt, unlike The Doctor who had spent hours every morning perfecting his look using an unbelievable amount of hair gel. His face also seemed more tired and worn, like he was beyond his years. He couldn't have been older than early to mid forties, wearing a black suit and navy blue tie. He had a sour, almost grumpy look on his face and Rose thought it suited his negative words quite nicely. Before she could take in Jenkinson, however, she spotted her and gave her a warm smile. "Rose! Lovely to finally meet you in person. Here let me take that for you." She grabbed the box out of her hands and placed in on a vacant desk beside her.

"It's nice to finally meet you too." She returned her smile. _I can't say the same for him._ She silently added.

"This is DI Hardy. He will be able to help you with anything you need, just ask him."

"Hello. Looking forward to working with you." She greeted him with a sickly sweet smile but her eyes told a different story, shooting daggers at him.

"For me." He corrected, staring back at her. He could obviously tell she had overheard him but did not seem to care in the slightest.

"Hardy!" Jenkinson shouted angrily, "That is not how you treat another colleague!" Hardy rolled his eyes but remained silent.

"Is he always like this?"

"What a rude, arrogant prick?" Jenkinson questioned with a smile, "That's just his personality."

"Brilliant." Rose muttered. Jenkinson glanced at her watch.

"And with that I'll have to leave it there. I'm sure it will be a pleasure working with you. Hardy, be nice." She turned towards her office and gave Rose a friendly wave. Glancing at Hardy, she was absolutely fuming but decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and see if he apologised to her. She would not stoop to his level.

They stared at each other for a moment, neither wanting to break the silence. Rose pursed her lips and took a deep breath, waiting for an apology. He was leaning on the desk, drumming his fingers in an infuriating pattern that made Rose want to utilise her Torchwood combat training and knock him right to the ground. It was Hardy who spoke up first, "Right. Well, your desk is here, be here at 6am tomorrow morning and don't ask for a tour, I'm not a bloody tour guide. See you tomorrow, Tyler."

 _No apology? Nothing? I'm going to kill him._ Rose thought angrily, shaking her head. He turned to walk away but Rose wasn't letting him get away that easily. She had already had a bad enough day as it is and even if it was unintentional, DI Hardy was pushing her buttons. "And what do I call you?"

"You can call me sir." It took all of Rose's strength not to punch the idiot in his stupid, but annoyingly handsome face. Calling him 'sir' after what she had just overheard? He had to be joking. "Let me get this straight." She began, "you expect me to call you sir after the way you just disrespected me behind my back? I'm sure you've done your little 'research' on me but really Hardy, you've been in this business for a while right? So can you honestly tell me everything you've seen in the media is one hundred percent true? You, sir," Her voice dripped in sarcasm at the mention of his ridiculous request, "have absolutely no right to judge me without even knowing me for a second and, just for the record, I'll have you know that I am nothing like you described." Rose folded her arms, smirking at his shocked expression. He obviously wasn't used to be talked to in this way but he needed to be taken down a peg. "So let me break it down for you in case your close minded brain didn't understand, don't judge a book by it's fucking cover. And if you ever do this again I will kick you somewhere you're definitely not going to enjoy. See you tomorrow, sir." She spat the last word out, staring daggers at him. He swallowed, looking very uncomfortable. Turning on her heel, she strode towards the lifts, allowing any remaining anger to seep out of her. The room erupted in applause and rose felt a smile growing on her face. Bending into a mock curtsey, Rose looked the still shocked looking Hardy in the eye, holding his gaze as she stepped into the lift. _That felt good._ Rose thought, grinning to herself. As much as DI Hardy had annoyed her, she would not let him get in the way of her new life.


	2. A Beachside Discovery

Chapter 2: A Beachside Discovery

" _Dinner's ready!" she called, putting down the plate of what was supposed to be roast chicken but had turned out looking like an alien they had stumbled upon on one of their many adventures. The Doctor walked into the room, his hair sticking up at all angles and a smudge of grease across his face. He had obviously been tinkering with something. The Doctor swallowed nervously, "It looks great."_

" _I know." Rose admitted, "It's awful."_

" _The first step is admitting you have a problem." The Doctor replied playfully, a smile forming on his lips. He sat down at the table and Rose joined him, pulling off her apron. For the past couple of weeks, she had been attempting to learn the art of cooking, however, so far it had not been quite successful. All of her dishes had turned out looking like something dragged out of the abyss rather than edible meals. "Shall we take a bite then?" Rose asked, staring down at the monstrosity._

" _Together?"_

" _Together." Rose confirmed as they both picked up their forks and brought a bite to their mouths. Faces full of disgust, they chewed slowly, neither quite wanting to swallow._

" _Well… it's edible." The Doctor managed to get out as he swallowed his bite._

" _It tastes like cardboard. How can chicken taste like cardboard?" Rose questioned, sighing in defeat._

" _Rose Tyler. I can honestly say you have a talent, a talent for being the worst cook in the entire universe." Rose death stared him for a moment before bursting out into laughter. She really was the worst cook in the entire universe, worse than Jackie Tyler, and that was saying something. The Doctor soon joined her and they collapsed into fits of giggles. After the laughter subsided Rose turned to him, "So takeout?"_

" _Takeout." He agreed and got up to dial the familiar number. As Rose waited for him to finish the phone call, she caught a glimpse of someone standing in the window, looking at them. For a moment, she couldn't breathe. It was him. The man who killed The Doctor. He held up a gun and shot a single bullet. It shattered through the kitchen window and hit The Doctor straight in the chest, causing him to collapse to the ground, the phone clattering beside him. "Doctor!" She screamed, diving towards him._

* * *

Rose Tyler sat up in bed, attempting to slow her rapid breathing. "It was just a dream." She muttered to herself, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. It had become an all too familiar nightmare and although the location changed constantly, it was still terrifying. Stretching her arm out, she reached for her phone and lifted it up to check the time, 5.45am. "Shit!" she cried out in annoyance. She couldn't be late. She couldn't give Hardy that satisfaction. Running out to the kitchen to put some bread in the toaster and boiling the kettle, Rose tugged on her jeans whilst trying to run a brush through her terrible bed hair. Giving up on that thought almost immediately, she hastily through her blonde hair up in a pony tail, not caring in the slightest what it looked like. Pulling on a grey t-shirt and her all too familiar blazer, she ran to the bathroom and brushed her teeth quickly, managing to put on a bit of light makeup. _Just enough so I don't look like I just walked off the set of The Walking Dead._ Rose thought to herself with a small laugh. She ran out of the bathroom and went to retrieve her toast and make herself some tea, sighing when she pulled out the almost completely charred bread from the toaster. "It'll have to do." she muttered, slathering on what looked like mountains of butter. After pouring the tea into a thermos, she hastily grabbed her black Converse high tops from the front door and tugged them on, doing up the laces as quickly as possible. Toast in mouth, tea in hand, coat over arm and satchel slung over her shoulder, Rose sprinted down the stairs, grappling with her car keys as she threw her coat and satchel in the back of her car and quickly turned on the ignition, silently praying that she would make it in time.

Sprinting into the building whilst trying not to spill her tea, Rose hastily scanned her ID card and hopped into the lift, much to the amusement of the other police officers who were watching her performance. Breathing a slight sigh of relief, well as much as she could with a piece of toast in her mouth, she readjusted the coat on her arm and smoothed down her most likely messy pony tail, scrunching up her nose slightly when she realised she would have to spend the entire day with Hardy and many to come. As the lift doors opened, she strode out as confidently as possible and dumped her tea, satchel and coat on her desk alongside her box as soon as she reached it. Leaning back in her chair slightly, she almost flew out of it and dropped her toast when DI Hardy tapped her lightly on the shoulder. "Blmphy hmph. You smphed mmph." She managed to get out, pulling the toast of her mouth.

"What?" He questioned, staring at her.

"I said, bloody hell. You scared me."

"You're late."

"Actually, I'm right on time." She pulled out her phone and the screen displayed 6.00am. _Thank god for that._ Rose thought to herself, finally allowing herself to take a bite of her toast. He looked extremely irritated but said nothing and Rose cheered a silent victory. "Sort this out." He gestured towards her increasingly messy desk, "and then I need you to fill these out for me." He dumped a stack of paperwork on her desk and Rose sighed, she hated paperwork. "If there's any callouts, you're driving me."

"What? Why? Can't you drive?"

"I don't have a car."

"Really?"

"Yes, really." He replied exasperatedly, obviously not in the mood for conversation. Rose grinned, she could tell she would grow to love annoying him. She was still pissed at what he had said yesterday but she could tell he was beginning to feel remorseful. "Now leave me alone. I'm not in the mood for people this morning." He turned and abruptly walked to his office, slamming the door shut. _Someone's Mister Grumpy this morning_. She thought, shaking her head. After a few moments she turned to begin the laborious task of unpacking her belongs, trying to avoid the inevitable paperwork she had to fill out. She had seen far too much of it when she was at Torchwood. Rose wasn't long into the job when Jenkinson approached her with a smile on her face. "Morning Rose! Enjoying the job so far?"

"Can't say I'm loving the paperwork." She admitted.

"I can agree with you on that one." Jenkinson replied and they shared knowing smiles.

"So. I just thought I would let you know that DS Ellie Miller is back from her holiday leave today. You'll be working be working with her very closely."

"Oh. Well she sounds nice. Nicer then him I hope." Rose gestured towards an angry looking Hardy who was frowning at them.

"Yes. Much nicer them him. I think you'll get on very well." She smiled over at him and he rolled his eyes. "Good luck today." She added cheerfully before heading back over to her office. Rose sighed, closing her eyes, deep in thought. _He must be a very good detective for Jenkinson to hire him._ Rose thought. Funnily enough, Rose hadn't heard of him at all but she hadn't really been paying attention to the news in this universe. Her work had her thoroughly distracted most of the time. Sighing, she opened her eyes to find Hardy leaning over her desk, looking at her. "You really need to stop doing that." Rose muttered, almost falling out of her chair again.

"You really need to stop zoning out." He retorted, straightening his tie. "There's a call out. Farmer wants us for some reason or another, wasn't really paying attention. Who calls at seven in the bloody morning?" Rose rolled her eyes and he sighed, grabbing her car keys off the desk and jangling them in front of her, "Let's go."

* * *

"Nice car." Hardy remarked as they walked towards her white Range Rover. Whilst Rose much preferred vintage cars, her Range Rover had been perfect for working for Torchwood. It was durable, reliable and had been installed with all of the latest Torchwood technologies. _Perfect for alien hunting._ Rose thought with a smile. Although she was no longer chasing aliens, she had grown to love this car and couldn't bring herself to get rid of it. Besides, it made her mum feel so much better driving it with all of its safety capabilities rather than her vintage cars which her mum had come to call Rose's 'death traps'. "Thanks. It's my work car actually, I much prefer vintage ones but she's grown on me." She patted the bonnet affectionately.

"Me too." Hardy replied and Rose looked at him, surprised. She never expected him to like cars since he didn't have one of his own. Throwing her coat onto the backseat, she slid into the leather driver's seat and watched him carefully as he did the same. "So," She began, leaning forward to type the address into the GPS, "What brought you to Broadchurch?"

"Fresh start from Sandbrook I suppose."

"Sandbrook?"

"You mean you don't know?" He asked in disbelief, fiddling with the radio.

"Should I?"

"Well it was pretty big news at the time. Two girls going missing is quite a big deal."

"Wow. I definitely missed a lot." She muttered to herself before looking over to him. "Trust me. If you knew exactly what I did, you wouldn't be surprised. I didn't exactly have a lot of time to look at the news."

"And what exactly is it that you used to do?"

"Couldn't find that out with your detective work Hardy?" She asked, smiling slightly. She couldn't deny that Torchwood definitely did a good job at hiding their employees' identities.

"All I found out is that you're a Vitex heiress. I couldn't find out a lot about you actually, workwise."

"Good."

"Good?"

"Well I wouldn't want my employment details falling into the wrong hands."

"So you won't tell me?" He asked, looking over at her as they drove through the town.

"Nope." She replied, popping the 'p'.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't trust you yet, especially after yesterday's incident. And would you please stopping fiddling with the bloody radio." He retracted his hand immediately, settling on a news bulletin.

"Fine." He folded his arms and stared out the window. He was clearly irritated that he knew so little about her. _Good._ Rose thought to herself, biting her lip to stop herself from bursting into laughter, _Let him wonder._ The rest of the drive was silent as they drove along the winding roads up to the farm that stood on the top of a cliff.

* * *

Walking up onto the cliff, Rose wrapped her coat around herself tightly, feeling the chill of the morning air. The car ride for the most part had been an uncomfortable silence, neither of them saying much after Rose refused to answer him and it hadn't improved since they arrived. "You really should take more care Hardy, these people need help and you just dismiss them." Rose started, breaking the silence.

"I do care. Just not about ridiculous call outs like this."

"It's not ridiculous to them. This is his livelihood you're calling ridiculous." She gestured to the farmer who was a few paces ahead, walking towards his tractor. He sighed and was silent for a moment, before changing the subject. "Are you really going to wear those shoes all the time?"

"What? What's wrong with them?" She asked, glancing down at her feet. She honestly wanted to slap him but decided it probably would not look professional in front of the farmer. She didn't understand how her shoes had anything to do with their work. "Touchy subject." He muttered to himself and Rose felt her anger growing. _Bloody hell he gets on my nerves._ She thought and began to turn towards him. They both stopped and Rose could feel the anger radiating off herself. Taking a deep breath to control rapidly increasing anger, she decided to take the high road. "It's not a touchy subject. I just don't see how my clothing choices affect what we're doing here."

"You're right. It doesn't. I'm sorry." He mumbled out the last part and Rose had to crane her neck to hear him. _Did he just… apologise?_ Rose wondered in amazement. She didn't think it was possible for him. "And," He began, his Scottish accent cutting through the strong wind, "I'm sorry for what I said yesterday. I shouldn't have said that, it was wrong and- why are you smiling at me Tyler?"

"Did you just… apologise to me?" She asked, still grinning.

"Oh I wish it could take-"

"Nope! You said it! No take-backs!" He sighed and shook his head at her but although neither of them said anything, a silent truce was enacted between them.

"Right. Let's get this bloody thing over with then." He muttered before beginning to walk to the edge of the cliff. He stood at the fence line, staring out out the churning sea when he really should have been examining the damaged fence. "Chief dramatist much." She muttered to herself. Joining him at the fence line, Rose peered off the cliff and took in the breathtaking scenery. She had still not taken a walk along the pier or beach yet, having felt too exhausted from yesterday's events. Watching the churning waves in front of her, Rose felt a strange sense of calm wash over her. It was just so… peaceful. She was soon pulled out of her thoughts as the farmer interrupted them. "You wanna see this or not?" The farmer called to Hardy and he turned around, shrugging his shoulders. Rose sighed, he might have apologised but he could really be an arsehole sometimes. "That's where they cut to get in." The farmer pointed to the broken wiring at the fence line, "Siphoned the whole bloody tank."

"We'll be in touch." Hardy confirmed and Rose shook her head at him. _Could he be any less compassionate?_ She thought.

"What he means to say is," She began, glaring at Hardy, "is that we will do everything we possibly can to find out who did this." Hardy grunted in agreement but before she could answer, she felt a familiar buzz in her coat pocket. "I'd better take this. Hardy, be somewhat agreeable please."

"You're DS Tyler correct?" The voice asked and Rose frowned, she had no idea who this could be. Not many people knew she was a DS here and even fewer had her phone number.

"Yes. Who is this?"

"It's the coastguard. We have reports of something down by the shore."

"We'll check it out immediately. Thanks for informing us." She replied, curious as to what it could be. Hanging up the phone, she turned to an annoyed looking Hardy who was ignoring the pleas of the farmer. "I was called out at seven in the morning for that." He muttered, walking towards her. "Too good for it, are ya?" She asked folding her arms. "You could be more considerate."

"Come on, let's go." He replied, ignoring her comment.

She turned back calling to the farmer, "We will, or at least I will look into this as soon as possible!" Hardy rolled his eyes but said nothing.

"What was that about?" Hardy questioned as they walked down the hill. Rose knew he was talking about the phone call but decided to mess with him a bit.

"I wanted to give him some hope. Unlike somebody here."

"No not that." He muttered exasperatedly, "The phone call. What was the phone call about?"

"Oh that." She replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "That was from the coastguard. They have reports of something down by the shore."

"Hmm. Sounds interesting."

"Very. Now you'd better do something for that farmer. He needs our help."

Knowing that Rose was probably never going to give up, he relented, "Fine. I will. Now let's go."

* * *

Arriving at the beach, Rose had a sneaking suspicion that this was not going to be good. She walked along the soft sand of the picturesque beach, watching the small crowd that had gathered as a few officers began to put up a police line. _Definitely not good._ Rose thought. Silently, she willed herself to put all emotions to the back of her mind. Emotions clouded judgement and if they were facing what she thought they were facing; she couldn't risk them right now. As they strode down the beach, Rose gritted her teeth and bit her lip as the small figure laying on the sand came into view. _Not a child…_ Rose thought to herself, shaking her head. She felt a wave of sadness overcome her and struggled to push it back down. Things like this always hurt her more than most, particularly because of the death of The Doctor. Rose heard Hardy muttering to himself and she grew concerned as he began to slow, grabbing his arm gently and turning him towards her. Searching his eyes, she asked, "You alright?"

"No." He answered honestly, "But I have to be." She nodded, understanding him completely. Together, they made their way towards the body and bent down, examining him. "Could be suicide." Rose noted, clenching her fists to prevent herself from breaking down, "But not everything is as it seems." Hardy nodded in agreement. A woman in a grey pantsuit approached them and Hardy jumped up, trying to keep her away. "Off the beach. This area's off limits."

"No, I'm police." She stated, clearly distressed. Handing Hardy her ID, she walked towards the body. _That must be DS Miller._ Rose thought, instantly feeling sorry for her. She could tell that she knew him somehow from and she stood up, moving forward to comfort her.

"Oh, God, I know him. He lives here. He has tea at my house. He's my boy's best friend. Oh, God, Beth. Does Beth know?" Rose rubbed her back soothingly, not knowing of any words that could comfort her.

"All right. Calm down DS Miller." Hardy interrupted and as much as Rose disliked him, she knew that he was right. She couldn't let her emotions get in the way. "You don't understand. I know that boy."

"Shut it off."

"Shut it of?" She looked at him in disbelief.

"Be professional. You're working on a case now."

"As much as I hate to say it," Rose began, turning towards her, "He's right. Emotions cloud judgement and if we want to find out what happened, we can't afford to get emotional." Hardy gave her a grateful nod before turning back towards Ellie. "Alec Hardy." He introduced, holding out his hand.

"I know. You got my job."

"Really? You wanna do that now?" He asked in a slightly sarcastic tone. Before he could upset her any further Rose stepped in. "Rose Tyler. It's nice to meet you, although I wish it could have been under more pleasant circumstances."

"It's nice to meet you too." She murmured, tears beginning to spill over.

"Can you tell us who he is?" Rose asked quietly, bracing herself to get her head bitten off. Surprisingly, she remained subdued and Rose was quite impressed by the manner she was handling the situation. "Danny. Daniel Latimer. 11 years old. Goes to school with my boy Tom. His family live here. Dad's the local plumber." Rose listened intently, it seemed like he had lived a picture perfect life, but Rose knew from experience that it probably wasn't perfect. The most loving families often held the darkest secrets.

"Is this a suicide spot?" Hardy asked suddenly and whilst he probably didn't realise it nor care, that question would definitely cause conflict, something that Rose had been trying to avoid.

"He wouldn't do that." Ellie answered firmly and Rose could hear the hint of anger in her words.  
"Answer the question."

"There are others, one three miles west; another one further inland. He's not that type of kid." As much as it looked like a suicide, Rose couldn't shake the feeling that it was something else, something far more sinister.  
"Find out were SOCO are. We have to move fast. The tide will be in." Rose nodded her head in agreement. The body was covered for examination as Rose watched, deep in thought. _Nothing is with him. At least from what I could see. Surely a kid his age would have a mobile phone._ She thought, shaking her head. This was definitely not what she was expecting to deal with when she moved to Broadchurch. "Oh god. Who's that?" Hardy muttered. Rose turned as a woman in a red dress ran towards them frantically. Rose thought that she must be his mother and she knew exactly how she was feeling right now. The pain, the confusion, the not knowing. She had never felt anything like it. "No, Beth, get of the beach. Beth you can't be- Gary!" Ellie called as she tried to stop her from running towards the body.

"What have you found? Let me see, let me see." She cried frantically. Rose, Hardy and the other officers spread their arms out, desperately trying to keep her away from him. "You can't be here! Stop. Get her off the beach!" Ellie shouted as the three officers grabbed Beth, pulling her back.

"Those are his shoes. Those are Danny's trainers! No! Danny!" She cried desperately, kicking her legs.

"Leave it." Hardy called, pulling Ellie back as she tried to follow them.

"I'll go with her." Rose spoke up suddenly.

"What? No."

"She needs someone right now. I know what she's going through and I can help. Besides, I can to some investigating while I'm there."

"Absolutely not." Hardy replied firmly, shaking his head.

"Please Hardy. Let me do this." She turned towards him as the officers began to pull Beth away.

"Fine." He sighed in defeat, "We will be there as soon as we can."

"Thank you." He nodded as she walked towards the officers. "I can take it from here." They relinquished their hold on her. "Beth is it?" Rose asked soothingly, rubbing her arm. She nodded her head slowly, seeming to calm down a bit at the sound of her voice. "I'm DS Rose Tyler but you can call me Rose. I hate titles. Why don't I take you home?"


	3. The Aftermath

Chapter 3: The Aftermath

The walk from the beach to her car was a blur. Arms around a hysterical Beth, they ducked under the police line and wove through a crowd of people, Rose shouting at them to keep away. They stared at them for a moment with looks of sympathy in their eyes. Rose just shook her head, gripping Beth tighter. It was only when they reached her car that she loosened her grip. "I thought that we might take my car. I'll send someone to fetch yours later." Beth nodded, letting out a sob. After opening the passenger side door, she returned to the driver's side and hopped in, glancing at a tearful Beth. "Was it really him? Was it Danny?" She managed to choke out, holding back another sob.

"I don't know Beth. I wish I could tell you but I don't know anything more than you do."

She started the car and they drove in silence for a while. Beth stared out the window, watching the churning waves of the ocean. "If you don't mind me asking, where do you live? I'm new in town and I'm not sure where everything is yet." Rose asked, turning towards her.

"Actually, would you mind if we picked up my daughter Chloe first? She's at school. I'd rather her be with me… when we find out."

"Of course. How old is she?"

"15."

 _Only 15 years old and having to lose a brother._ Rose thought, shaking her head sadly.

"And did you want to inform your husband as well?" She asked, finding it a little strange that she hadn't mentioned him yet.

"Yes, of course. It's just… he's been a little distant lately."

"Oh?" Rose asked, Beth's words peaking her interest.

"I don't want to talk about it." She replied abruptly, fiddling with the hem of her dress.

 _Odd._ Rose thought, making a mental note to investigate that further.

Following Beth's directions, the rest of the drive was quiet as they arrived at the high school. The school was much nicer than the one Rose had attended, with students bustling in and out of the crowded corridors. Beth threw her head back against the seat and sighed in frustration. "I hate it." She spoke suddenly, startling Rose, "I hate the not knowing, I hate the waiting and I hate the fact that my little boy is probably dead and I'm not even allowed to know about it." Rose thought back to when she was in Beth's position, tears beginning to well in her eyes. She could almost feel the confusion, the pain and the anguish she had felt on the day The Doctor had died. All of the alien danger they had faced and he had to bloody die from a stupid gun.

"I completely understand Beth. I-"

"No you don't." She interrupted, "How could you possibly understand?"

"My husband John… he died… he was killed."

Beth's face softened and turned towards her, "I'm so sorry. How long has it um… been?"

 _11 months, 1 week, 2 days, 19 hours, 4 minutes and 40 seconds._

"About 11 months." She took a deep breath. "I don't really like to talk about what happened but I know what it's like to feel helpless, powerless, like your entire world is crashing down around you and there's nothing you can do to stop it."

"Does it get easier?"

Rose thought for a moment. _Did it get easier?_ Easier probably wasn't the best way to describe it. Living without The Doctor in her life was never easy, in fact, it was the hardest thing she had ever had to face. "I wouldn't say easier exactly, it's never going to be easy when you lose someone from your life. It does get better, when you start to remember them from through good memories rather than the bad. Don't get me wrong, I still have bad days where I feel like I want to punch someone or just curl into a ball and cry but my good days are currently winning out over the shitty ones and that's all I can ask for." Beth nodded and they sat quietly, taking in the morning sun. "It just… doesn't feel real you know? Like I'm going to wake up any second and this will just be a terrible nightmare."

"I know." Rose sighed, struggling to find any words to comfort her. She knew that as a DS, she should be asking her more questions about Danny and their family but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Beth was under enough stress right now without her being a nosy twat. The questions could wait. She had, however, discovered something quite unusual about the relationship between Beth and her husband, well not unusual exactly but it could link to Daniel Latimer's death. Of course it was normal for people in a relationship to have fights from time to time but this seemed to be more than that. What was going on between them? "I should go get Chloe." Beth announced, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Do you want me to come with you? I really don't mind."

"No. It's fine. I can do this." Rose watched as she hopped out of the car and headed into the school, trying to fix her tear stained face.

"Oh my god. You're Rose Tyler. THE Rose Tyler." Chloe squeaked in surprise as they hopped into the car. By the expression on her face, Beth hadn't told Chloe anything yet. She seemed like a nice girl, with long blonde hair and slightly too much eyeliner, she reminded her of herself at her age. "What do you mean by THE Rose Tyler?" Beth asked, staring at Rose.

"Oh come on mum, you can't tell me you don't know who she is. She's the Vitex heiress. You know, the drink." Beth shook her head, clearly puzzled.

"Seriously mum? You're the one who's in the car with her. Is anyone going to tell me what the fuck is going on?"

"Language Chloe!" Beth cried. "I taught you better than that." She rolled her eyes before looking between Beth and Rose expectantly. Beth didn't look like she wanted to speak yet so Rose jumped in, earning herself a grateful look. "I'm working as a DS in Broadchurch, I needed a fresh start after you know…"

"Oh of course, I'm so sorry. He seemed like a lovely person. I mean, I didn't really know him but…"

"He was." Rose gave her a small smile, bracing herself for what was about to come next.

"So if you're a police officer, why was I taken out of school? What's going on?" Chloe demanded, leaning between the front seats of the car to face them both.

"There was a body found on the beach this morning. It's not confirmed yet but they think it- they think it might be Danny." Beth struggled to hold back her tears as she spoke, clasping her hands together.

"What! But that's not… It can't be…" Chloe cried in disbelief.

"Let's get you home." Rose murmured sadly, giving Beth a comforting pat on the shoulder before starting the car.

Sitting in Beth's living room, watching a pacing Beth, Rose felt a buzz in her pocket as she pulled out her phone.

 _We are on our way. Meet us outside.- Alec Hardy_

Rose sighed. A small part of her was hoping that they were wrong, that somehow Daniel Latimer would come walking through the front door. Just like she had hoped The Doctor would walk through her own front door. Beth glanced at her expectantly as her husband Mark put his arm around her waist. "What is it?"

"There's news. They're on their way. I'm going to meet them outside." She stood before turning towards the family. They looked… broken. "I know it's hard but try to stay calm." They nodded as she headed out the front door. A few minutes later, Ellie Miller and Alec Hardy pulled up in what Rose presumed to be Ellie's car. She watched them argue before they stepped out.

"How are they?" Ellie asked.

"As well as to be expected. They're barely holding it together."

"Did you tell them anything?" Hardy asked, staring at her.

"Of course not. I'm not an idiot. I told them I knew nothing more then they did. So… is it him?"

"Yes."

"And the cause?"

"We don't know yet but it doesn't look like it's an accident or a suicide. It was too arranged and there was no sign of any flattened grass or slippage. According to..."

"Brian." Ellie supplied, chastising him.

"Yes Brian." He rolled his eyes before continuing, "Where he was found and the trajectory off the cliffs indicates that a jump is very unlikely."

"So if it wasn't a fall or suicide-"

"You're correct Tyler." Hardy replied, his tie flapping in the wind, "It looks like we might have a murder on our hands."

* * *

 **Sorry that's it a bit short. I wanted to delve into a little bit of what happened between Beth and Rose between the beach and telling the family. The next chapter will be a lot longer. I hope you enjoyed :)**


	4. The Interrogation Begins

Chapter 4: The Interrogation Begins

Walking towards the Latimer house, Rose felt a hand grip onto her arm, pulling her back. She found herself face to face with a concerned looking Alec Hardy. "Have you done this before?" He asked, releasing the grip on her arm.

"Too many times." Rose replied, thinking back to her work at Torchwood. It was definitely her least favourite part of the job, watching their faces fall at the news of a loved one's death. And Rose, although she wished she wasn't, was quite experienced in the area, having been on both sides of the dreaded conversation. "Good. And where exactly did you get that experience?" Rose sighed, _He's never going to let that go is he?_

"Look. All you need to know is that I am more than qualified for this alright? So, yes I am properly trained to be here and if you doubt me, take it up with Chief Superintendent Jenkinson. Now can we get back to the task at hand please?"Hardy opened his mouth to say more but closed it again. Rose could guess exactly what he was thinking but felt relief wash over her that he was letting it go, for now. She wasn't quite ready to talk about Torchwood yet, particularly when she barely knew the man standing in front of her. She could see Ellie at the front door, watching them with a look of curiosity on her face. Turning towards her, Rose stopped abruptly as she heard Hardy's quiet voice almost whisper, "I'm sorry… about your husband." Rose wasn't surprised that he knew about that, particularly after the investigation he had conducted on her as well as countless news outlets that had published the story. Thankfully, their interest in her had died down dramatically after The Doctor's death, finding her too uninteresting she supposed. But very so often interest sparked again and Rose found herself reading outrageous articles about who she was now dating or what she had been up to. To Alec Hardy and pretty much everyone else on this planet, she was Rose Tyler, rich Vitex Heiress but to herself and those that knew her well, she was so much more than that, at least she hoped so. "I know." She gave him a tight lipped smile and clenched her fists, thinking about what was to come.

Rose placed her chair beside a distraught Beth and offered her hand, which she took gratefully. Hardy raised his eyebrows at the gesture but said nothing. She glanced around the now crowded living room, her thoughts falling to the Latimer family. From her brief analysis of so far, Rose had discovered that whilst they seemed like a tightknit family from the outside, Beth and Mark Latimer clearly had some issues. Rose shifted uncomfortably as Hardy began to speak, "The body of a young boy was found –"

"It's Danny, isn't it?" Beth interrupted on the verge of tears.

"Let him finish." Mark murmured, rubbing her shoulder soothingly.

"I saw his shoes."

"Plenty of kids have those shoes." Mark suggested, trying to keep his wife calm although it seemed to have the opposite effect, making her more agitated. "Sorry. You talk."

"We believe it's Danny's body." Hardy spoke calmly, although Rose could tell it was upsetting for him too. Rose felt Beth's hand squeeze hers tightly as she let out a sob.

"Who is it, Ellie? Was it him?" She managed to choke out between harsh breaths. Rose glanced up at Ellie and saw tears forming in her eyes as she nodded at the hysterical Beth. The family burst into tears, trying to comfort each other with embraces but Rose knew that nothing would make it better. No words in existence could fix Danny Latimer's death. Despite the melancholy mood in the room, Rose felt a surge of determination flow through her. She would do everything she possibly could to help this family and bring them some sort of closure, not matter what it took.

"Was it an accident? Did he fall?" Beth asked more calmly now as Ellie brought over two steaming cups of tea. The Latimer's had now calmed down although the loss still hung over their house. "We don't know yet." Hardy replied and Rose wished they could tell them more, but nothing had been confirmed yet, "Can you think why he might have been up on the cliffs last night or this morning?" Rose leaned forward, watching the family's responses intently as Hardy began to question them.

"He wouldn't have been." Beth replied adamantly, shaking her head.

"Well, he obviously was." Mark replied softly and Rose gave him an odd look. She couldn't shake the feeling that he was hiding something. Hardy seemed to notice as well, glancing at Beth's husband who had his arm protectively around his wife. "He didn't have any reason to be." Beth insisted and Rose reached over, giving her hand an encouraging squeeze. She knew that talking about it would be hard and couldn't help but feel proud at the way Beth was handling it.

"How was Danny over the past few days?" Hardy continued to question.

"He didn't kill himself if that's what you're suggesting." Mark replied bluntly.

"He's been just… normal."

"He wouldn't kill himself. He knows he can… talk to us about anything." Rose hoped that was true as Chloe sat down beside her feather, clearing distraught from the day's events.

"And you last saw him when?"

"I looked in on him er about nine o'clock last night. He was laid in bed… reading." Beth replied earnestly, her hands splayed in her lap.

"Anyone see Danny this morning?"

"No. He was up and out before anyone else. He's got a paper round. But he didn't turn up for that. Jack, I spoke to him. He runs the paper shop." Rose was deep in thought. How and why was he out in the middle of the night? _Perhaps he snuck out?_ Rose thought to herself. She had done that a lot herself when she was a kid. _But why would he sneak out to the cliffs? Taking in the scenery maybe?_ Rose shook her head, something didn't add up here and she didn't know what it was.

"Any signs of forced entry or disturbance round the house?"

"No, nothing. I wanna see the body." Mark paused for a moment, glancing at Hardy whose eyes had widened slightly at his words. "You might be wrong about it being him. So, I wanna be sure. I wanna see."

"Fine." Hardy agreed, nodding his head slightly, "Miller, you can escort Mark Latimer and Tyler you're staying with me." Rose stood up and gazed around the crowded living room. This was definitely not the quiet life she was expecting when she moved to Broadchurch.

Time seemed to stand still as they walked into Daniel Latimer's room. Rose and Hardy stood in the doorway, taking in the childlike room. A tie was thrown haphazardly onto a messy beside table, a few toys were scattered around the room and various pictures were hung on the cream coloured walls. Rose couldn't help but be reminded of her own brother Tony. _I don't know what I would do if I lost him._ Rose thought to herself, shaking her head sadly. Slipping on the gloves that Hardy had handed to her, the pair were silent, looking for any clues that gave any information about his death. Rose paused in front of a bookshelf that was full of trophies. _He was quite the talented kid._ She thought to herself, glancing at the Sea Brigade hat that was tucked away. "It's awful isn't it." Rose murmured and out of the corner of her eye she saw Hardy nod in agreement as he ran his hands down the wall where Danny's height had been recorded over the years. Walking over to the window, Rose noticed that it was ajar, looking over an expansive field here a few children were amidst a game of football. _Possible exit route?_ Rose thought to herself. _Or entry route._ She mentally added.

"He could have been taken from here, if he was taken that is." Hardy noted, gesturing at the open window.

"Or he could have snuck out." Rose added.

"Yes, but what for? And to the cliffs?" Rose was silent, not having the answers to those questions. Hardy sat down on the bed, deep in thought. Rose sighed, sitting next to Hardy on the colourful bed sheets. "We'll solve this." She glanced at Hardy reassuringly.

"I hope so." He added, watching as Beth stood in the doorway, knowing that her son would never enter his bedroom again.

The car ride was silent as Rose drove through the streets of Broadchurch, glancing at the solemn figure beside her. Despite his grumpy exterior, Rose could tell he was a deeply compassionate man underneath and would do anything to solve this case as irritating as he could be. "Did you find out anything?" Hardy asked, breaking the silence.

"Sorry?"

"When you took Beth Latimer home, did you find out anything?"

"Not a lot because she was very upset." Rose admitted as Hardy leaned forward, "She did tell me something I thought was interesting. Apparently Mark has been distant lately and when I pressed her on it, she didn't want to talk about it."

"Huh." Hardy muttered, staring out the window. Rose took in the quiet streets of the small town and she couldn't help but feel at home here, despite the negative start. Even though it was an awful situation, it felt good to finally be working on something she cared about. Tapping her fingers lightly on the steering wheel to the beat of the radio, Rose's thoughts wandered to the case that Hardy had mention. _Sandbrook._ Rose thought, _What had gone wrong?_ Even though Hardy hadn't mentioned it, Rose could tell that the Sandbrook case must not have gone as planned. From her brief experience with DI Hardy so far, she didn't think that it was his fault. He was far too dedicated to his cases and from his dishevelled appearance, Rose wondered if he was interested in anything else. She made a mental note to read up on it later. After a few more moments of silence, Rose decided she couldn't take it anymore and blurted out the first thing that popped into her head, "Are you married?"

Hardy turned towards her, a puzzled expression on his face, "What makes you ask that?"

"Just curious I guess. Sorry, it was just the first thing that came to mind."

"Not anymore."

"Oh." Rose bit her lip from asking why. She didn't want to piss him off more than he already looked. It was as off a dark thundercloud had descended upon his head with an expression to match. Hardy opened his mouth as if he was going to speak but decided against it, turning back to face the window he had now become quite acquainted with. Rose sighed, leaning her head back slightly. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

 **So I'm back from my brief hiatus! When you're trying to modernise a Shakespeare play, finish a maths assignment, conduct an experiment and write a legal essay time seems to just get away from you. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out. As you can see my schedule is a little hectic right now so we'll see how I go. I hope you enjoyed!**


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